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Woe to the Wicked

Woe to those who conceive wickedness,
    to those who devise evil on their beds!
At morning’s light they execute it,
    because it is in the power of their hand.
They covet fields and seize them,
    and houses and take them.
They defraud a man of his house,
    and a fellow man of his inheritance.

Therefore, thus says the Lord:

I am devising disaster against this family,
    from which you cannot remove your necks;
and you will not walk haughtily,
    for it will be a time of calamity.
In that day they will take up a taunt against you,
    and they will wail a wailing lament, and say:
“We are totally ruined!
    He diminishes the portion of my people;
how He removes it from me!
    To a traitor He reassigns our fields!”

Therefore you will not have anyone to apportion the land by lot
    in the assembly of the Lord.

Prophets of Deceit

“Do not prophesy,” they say.
    “One should not prophesy about these things.
    Disgrace will not overtake us.”
Should it be said, O house of Jacob,
    “Is the Spirit of the Lord impatient?
    Are these His deeds?”

Do not My words benefit
    him who walks uprightly?
But lately My people rise up
    like an enemy.
You strip off the rich robe
    from those who pass by trustingly,
    like men returning from war.
The women of My people you drive out
    from their delightful homes;
from their children
    you take My adornment forever.
10 Get up and go,
    for this is not the resting place,
because uncleanness ruins,
    and ruin sickens.
11 If a man, going about vapidly and deceitfully, lies,
    “I will preach for you wine and beer,”
    he would be just the preacher for this people.

The Restoration of Israel

12 I will indeed assemble Jacob—all of you;
    I will indeed gather the remnant of Israel.
I will place them together like sheep in a fold,
    like a herd in its pasture—
    thronging with people.
13 He who breaks through has gone up before them;
    they will break through and pass the gate and go out by it.
Then their king will pass on before them,
    the Lord at their head.

Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.

And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage.

Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which ye shall not remove your necks; neither shall ye go haughtily: for this time is evil.

In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.

Therefore thou shalt have none that shall cast a cord by lot in the congregation of the Lord.

Prophesy ye not, say they to them that prophesy: they shall not prophesy to them, that they shall not take shame.

O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?

Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.

The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.

10 Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction.

11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

12 I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.

13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.